Your Freight Consists:

Thanks, Gilly!  I really appreciate responses like yours!

 Bad Order Hal

[Here's a view from my High Desert neighborhood: That's Mt. Baldy, at just over 10,000 feet above sea level, and SW of the Cajon Pass.]

That's the thing with layout building...some are big and some are small.  I have seen many large layouts that are show stoppers in many ways, and I have seen some that are just big.  Now I have also seen layouts that are small in size and huge in creativity.  In the end all that really matters is that you build your layout for you.  I love the creativity I have seen by all on the forum, all are different and unique.  Build what you like, run what you love and have fun. 

In the words of Dr. Sydney Friedman...pull down your pants and slide on the ice!

HEY CHRIS,

I have also seen giant layouts that I like, and giant layouts that I don't like.

Similarly, I have seen small layouts that I like and small layouts that I don't like.

But I have never seen a medium-sized layout that I neither like or dislike!

But one thing I'll have to admit...even those big layouts that I don't like have one undeniable advantage:   THEY'RE BIG!

Bad Order Harold

One main line is dedicated to diesel passenger service. It consists of an ABBA with 9 16" Kline passenger cars, 6 streamlined and 3 heavyweights. The other main shares time with an FM Trainmaster pulling 16 freight cars, 2 GP9's pulling six to eight freight cars, an RS3 pulling 3 16" heavyweight passenger cars and an SW9 that will be pulling my MOW consist which will have a flatcar, boxcar, gondola, crane car, crane tender and caboose. 

HEY MILWAUKEE ROAD,

That's some operation...Wow and a Half! 

BAD ORDER

Quite right!

Have 3 passenger trains, NYC, Penn, and Sante Fe. At start of a session, I pick 1 of 3 cards to decide which one will be providing passenger service. As to NYC, and Penn. Have cards for which engine will be pulling the cars, steam, F3 or GG1 if Penn. All are 4 cars, not including a REA car which my switcher will be pulling in place. After the passenger train is in service. I have a 5 car freight consist, not including the caboose. I have 2 industries, 1 cattle, and pig pen, there is always a stock car on siding. Also a furniture factory with 1 or 2 cars on its siding.

My freight train consist of stock car, 2 box cars, fuel tank, flat car with lumber load.

My switcher will pull these car from the industries, and depending on the factory needs, either a tank car, and flat with lumber will be left, or 2 boxcars left. The cattle cars are switched for new beef every time. The main engine will leave these on a siding, and picking up those pulled. After main line goes down and around, the switcher takes over and dropping the cars at appropiate industries.

Hope this wasn't confusing? 

HEY JOSEF,

You may as well be talking to an abandoned water tank, because I have absolutely no interest in the operational side of model railroading, although I don't begrudge those who do.

The description of your layout leaves me in awe, but I'm glad I don't have anything to do with it!

I don't want my railroad to do anything!

I'm satisfied just to watch my GP-Diesel or my Switcher pull my 8-car consist around and around my 124-foot main line folded dogbone loop without stopping to do any switching, coupling, uncoupling, or anything else but run around constantly retracing its steps, and never shifting to an industrial spur or siding, because I have no industry on my so-called "empire".

Neither do I have any Towns, Villages, Farms, Forests, Factories, Warehouses,  Grasslands, Trees, Rivers, Brooks, Canyons, or life of any kind, whether people or animals.

The companies who produce all that stuff that the real model railroader uses do not like me at all!

My railroad is best described as nothing but utter desolation and wilderness, resembling the High Mojave Desert just a few miles outside of my 88 square-mile township known as Apple Valley, California.

You and others like you, with huge, complex rail empires, have my deepest respect in what you've built and what you're doing with it!

But such railroading is not for me...I prefer simple, boring operations, or better yet, no operations at all!

BAD ORDER HAL

[Here's a shot of my one and only short-line, 8-car train cutting through one of the more "civilized" parts of my layout]

Sorry, my layout is 6X11, and freight pulls 5 cars, and thought I would add what I do with those 5 cars besides watching the passenger cars go round and round.

Excuse me stepping into your post, won't happen again. Enjoy!

Hey, Friend...you can step into my posts anytime.  Just don't hijack 'em!

[I can make my freight shorter than yours...just the Loco and Caboose!]

Bad Order Hal

That's a great view. You ought to get a hi-resolution version of that and have it blown up as a backdrop.

HEY MATT,

I had a poster-size enlargement made of that scene, at the same resolution that my Canon Digicam used in the original exposure. (800 x 600 pixels), which is sharp enough for me, and looks great when viewed at 2 or more feet from the wall.

That's all...

BAD ORDER

Great minds think alike.

HEY MATT,

Great minds do not necessarily think alike, because I prefer my Margaritas without the salted rim or lime garnish!

Bad Order

I operate with ten cars on my switching layout:

3 Boxcars

4 Hopper Cars

1 Tank Car

And since yesterday I am the happy owner the follwing two ones: